


Running Back

by Anonymous



Category: Golden Child (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Choi Sungyoon's running career, Daeyeol is a good leader, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Jangjun is only in it for like a hot minute, M/M, Pre-Slash, boys being soft, honestly up to you, or gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-24 04:34:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30066738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: It's the middle of the night. No one should be up.Curiousity peaked, Daeyeol pokes his head around the corner to the hallway to check.What he doesn’t expect, is seeing Sungyoon by the door, tying his shoelaces. He’s changed, not into pajamas, but into track pants and a windbreaker, which is usually his outfit for –“Are you going for a jog?” he asks incredulously.
Relationships: Choi Sungyoon | Y/Lee Daeyeol
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42
Collections: Anonymous





	Running Back

**Author's Note:**

> Y'all, the Daeyoon tag is hella dry. I say this as I post a gen/implied/pre-slash fic. They do be soft, though.
> 
> This is literally saved in my drafts as "short daeyoon drabble". This is why I never get to finish things...
> 
> Of course, this is inspired by real people and events, but the events of the fic is purely fictional - you know the drill.

It’s the middle of the night when the ten of them stumble through the door in various states of exhaustion and relief, ready to hit their beds for a few precious hours of sleep before the hassle starts again. Daeyeol herds them quietly through the hall, making sure everyone puts away their shoes and no one drops a bag in the middle of the floor.

The youngest quickly call dibs on the showers, and while Daeyeol normally isn’t above using his privilege as the oldest to jump ahead in the queue, he also thinks the youngest deserve first shot today. It’s too late to argue, and the youngest need the sleep the most. He’s happy to wait just this once.

Instead, he retreats to the kitchen with Jangjun and Sungyoon, the three of them preparing a small snack to share while the younger members clean up. Jangjun spends the majority of the time complaining, saying it’s annoying to wait for the ungrateful kids, but it’s mostly for show. Daeyeol knows he cares as much about the well-being of the younger members as he and Sungyoon do – and if he really wanted to, he could have chased Jaehyun away and taken his spot in line.

Jangjun doesn’t do that – instead, he grumbles into his peanut butter sandwich and kicks Sungyoon’s shin under the table to entertain himself. Sungyoon is mostly quiet, looking tired and drawn, but uneasily alert, and it tugs at Daeyeol’s heartstrings.

They love promotional periods. They do – all of them. It’s when they get to perform, when they get to sing their new songs and interact with fans, it’s the period where they get to live the reasons why they became idols in the first place.

But it’s tiring.

And long.

Sungyoon is good at hiding it in front of the cameras, and the kids, always happy to put their needs before his own, but in front of Daeyeol and Jangjun, he doesn’t bother disguising his exhaustion. He’s not smiling anymore, his shoulders are slumped and he doesn’t brush away the hair falling into his eyes.

It’s these moments that always hit Daeyeol like a truck.

It’s something small, and inconspicuous, but suddenly he remembers that they are all tired. Even the oldest, the most experienced and most tenacious of them. They are all pushing their limits, every day, with every show.

It makes him proud, but also worried. And a little bit sad.

“Maybe we’re getting too old for this,” he says lightly, trying to ease the mood.

“Speak for yourself,” Jangjun snorts, glaring weakly. “I’m at the peak of my youth.”

“That means you can only go down from here, right?” Daeyeol grins.

“I’m here for a good time, not a long time,” Jangjun says and makes some kind of suggestive wiggle with his shoulder. Daeyeol isn’t sure how to interpret this, so he looks at Sungyoon for support.

Sungyoon doesn’t even look up from his tea, so no help there.

“You’re gross,” Daeyeol says instead as he turns back to Jangjun.

“I’m offended,” Jangjun deadpans back.

“Walk it off,” Sungyoon grumbles into his tea, but in the quiet kitchen, they both hear him perfectly.

Jangjun clicks his tongue like a disappointed teacher and reaches over to pull Sungyoon’s tea towards himself. “I’m sorry, did someone piss in your tea today? You’re sounding slightly acidic over there.”

Daeyeol raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything as Sungyoon huffs and takes his tea back.

“Give me that,” he grits out, punctuating his annoyance with a glare.

Jangjun frowns. “What’s with you?”

“Nothing,” Sungyoon says flippantly. “I’m just tired.”

“Alright,” Jangjun drawls, and rises with an eyeroll. He knows better than to fight with Sungyoon when he’s not in the mood. “I’ll be heading to the showers. Youngtaek’s probably done now. Good night, hyung-deul.”

Daeyeol watches him leave before turning back to Sungyoon, who’s busy trying to stare a hole into his tea mug.

Daeyeol doesn’t like playing peacemaker, and he knows he doesn’t have to, this time around – Jangjun and Sungyoon are mature enough to know when to back off from one another. Still, he doesn’t like the lingering tension around Sungyoon after Jangjun leaves.

“Sungyoon-ah – “

“I didn’t mean to brush him off,” Sungyoon cuts him off, shaking his head. “Sorry. I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

Daeyeol smiles a little. He doubts Jangjun really minded, but it’s a relief that Sungyoon is taking responsibility nonetheless. “Okay. Are you sure you’re just tired, though?”

“It’s been a long day,” Sungyoon shrugs and sits back against the wall. “A heavy day.”

“Sure,” Daeyeol nods. “Do you need anything?”

“Postponing tomorrow’s schedules?” Sungyoon smiles up at him weakly, head still knocked against the wall. “Getting a day off to gather our wits? It’s the reality we live in, hyung. We’ll manage.”

Daeyeol isn’t sure if that really answers his question, but he knows Sungyoon is right. They have to go through the bad to enjoy the good.

Or something like that.

“I suppose,” he mumbles in agreement. “But you know you can talk to me if something’s up, right? Like…. More than the usual, you know.”

Sungyoon turns slightly to glance at him through the corner of the eyes, considering.

“I know, hyung,” he says eventually. “I know you’re always there for us.”

He pauses for a moment before forcing himself to sit upright and reaching out to grab Daeyeol’s hand.

“And you know we’d return the favour any day, right?” He says, tugging gently at Daeyeol’s fingers. He sounds exhausted, but earnest, and Daeyeol appreciates that. “Just because you’re the oldest doesn’t mean you have no one to lean on.”

Daeyeol smiles and playfully tickles Sungyoon’s fingers.

Sungyoon had made a persistent effort, especially over the past year or so, to make sure Daeyeol always knew he could go to them for support – just like he had always done to them. It’s obvious that Sungyoon has had some kind of epiphany in this regard, but truth to be told, Daeyeol has never thought that he _didn’t_ have the possibility of going to Sungyoon for some encouragement.

Maybe Sungyoon doesn’t realize it himself, but he has always been there for Daeyeol. As trainees, freshly debuted idols, as a friend. Daeyeol has always considered Sungyoon a quiet pillar of strength, both to him and the others. Not in an overbearing, doting kind of manner, but as an honest assurance, someone who would push them when they needed and give them a shoulder to cry on when it got too much. Daeyeol had never hesitated to share his worries with Sungyoon, although Sungyoon might not have grasped the gravity of their late night talks himself.

“I never doubted that,” Daeyeol says, looking at Sungyoon fondly.

“Good,” Sungyoon says and leans back against the wall again. “Good, good.”

He doesn’t say anything else, and Daeyeol figures he’s not up for small talk tonight, so they sit in in silence as Sungyoon finishes his tea and Daeyeol eats his sandwich. It’s not unusual for them to enjoy each other’s quiet company, so he doesn’t feel the need to spark another conversation just for the sake of it.

Sungyoon is nice like that.

Still, Daeyeol feels a little bit guilty – Sungyoon looks too tired, and Daeyeol wishes he could just send him to bed immediately. But the youngest have to come first, and there’s nothing they can do about that. In an ideal world, Daeyeol would prioritize them all first.

Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works.

In the real world, they have to make some sacrifices and wait until the showers are free.

Eventually, they do free up – Seungmin pokes his head into the kitchen to let them know one of them is free, and then Jangjun returns just after.

Daeyeol smiles gratefully and wishes them good night.

He sends Sungyoon to the shower and picks up his own bundle of towels and spare clothes. It’s almost a chore to shower in the middle of the night, but by now he’s used to it, and runs on autopilot as he washes his hair, cleans his skin and puts away his laundry. His limbs feel heavy and his head is a mess of wandering thoughts, but at least he’ll be able to sleep soon.

As expected, the dorm is quiet by the time he steps out of the bathroom, and there are no sounds coming from the other bathroom, so Daeyeol assumes it means Sungyoon has already gone to bed. Good for him, he thinks, he looked like he needed it.

He takes a look around the dorm to make sure there are no piles of dishes or misplaced bags floating around before turning off the lights and heading to the kitchen again. The peanut butter made him thirsty enough to need just one glass of water, and then, sleep.

Sleep sounds wonderful right now.

He’s just putting away his glass when he hears someone walking down the hall. He frowns. Everyone should be asleep by now – there’s only a few precious hours left until a new day starts, and Daeyeol himself is only up still to quench his thirst –

That’s probably it. Someone else is up to get a drink, or use the bathroom or something.

Curiosity peeked, Daeyeol moves to the hallway to see.

What he doesn’t expect, is seeing Sungyoon by the door, tying his shoelaces. He’s changed, not into pajamas, but into track pants and a windbreaker, which is usually his outfit for –

“Are you going for a jog?” he asks, incredulously.

Sungyoon glances up at him briefly, frowning for half a second before returning to his task.

“Yes,” he answers shortly, and doesn’t offer anything else as he moves to lace the other shoe. As if jogging at three in the night after an eighteen-hour work day of dancing, singing, and acting is perfectly normal.

It isn’t.

Not even for Sungyoon. Sungyoon’s too rational for this kind of nonsense.

“What the hell, Sungyoon-ah,” Daeyeol frowns. “Did you knock your head? Go to bed, it’s late.”

“I’m restless,” Sungyoon says, shrugging. “Go to bed yourself, hyung. I’ll be quick.”

Well, that’s all a matter of perspective, Daeyeol thinks to himself. He has lived with Sungyoon for nine years now, and learned a long time ago that a ‘quick run’ for Sungyoon is rarely less than 45 minutes.

Daeyeol quickly runs over tomorrow’s schedule in his head. They start the day with practice at ten, which means they will be picked up around a quarter to ten. For Sungyoon, who always insist on a proper breakfast and wash in the morning, that means getting up just after nine. If he gets back from his run at four –

Four AM.

This is absurd.

“Are you a masochist?” He hisses. “We don’t get enough rest as it is during comeback season, and you want to go running? Do I even have to unpack why that’s not a good idea?”

“It’s a time investment I’ll make,” Sungyoon says, and turns sharp eyes on Daeyeol. He does look remarkably awake for the hour, Daeyeol has to admit, much more than he did earlier. But without the sharp stage make-up and intimidating brush to his fringe, Sungyoon doesn’t look as authoritative as he probably would like – he just looks like the stern trainee Daeyeol has long since learned to read.

Sungyoon isn’t as good at hiding his feelings as he thinks he is.

“You’re angry,” Daeyeol states, puzzled. Sungyoon hadn’t given any indication of being angry before. He’d just seemed tired, grumpy at most. “Why are you angry? Did something happen?”

“You don’t have to worry, leader-nim,” Sungyoon says with faux humility, and something in Daeyeol bristles at the deliberate jab, because right now he isn’t Daeyeol, leader of Golden Child, talking to Y, main vocal of Golden Child – he’s just Lee Daeyeol, talking to Choi Sungyoon.

And Sungyoon _knows_ this.

“Of course I worry,” he says instead, leaving the kitchen and approaching Sungyoon by the door. “If something’s wrong, I want to help. Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Pent-up emotions,” Sungyoon says smoothly, straightening as he looks up at Daeyeol. Daring him to call him out on whatever he’s doing. “Stress. Nothing dramatic. A run will help… Digest things.”

“You won’t be less stressed by not sleeping,” Daeyeol points out.

“Maybe I’ll be less _angry_ ,” Sungyoon says, narrowing his eyes slightly at the word as he echoes Daeyeol’s accusation from before.

Daeyeol pauses.

This isn’t new, per se. He knows running is how Sungyoon copes with frustration. It’s something easy, familiar, isolated from the rest of his life, and it’s something he’s good at. When he’s running, nothing can touch him – no management expectations, no member conflicts, no public discontent.

Daeyeol knows this. It’s how Sungyoon has always been, ever since he came to Seoul as a young trainee who tried to convince himself he’d made the right choice in life by betting on his voice. Whenever there was a challenge, Sungyoon would run – not run away, never, but he would run to process whatever struggle he was facing. A difficult part in a choreo? He’d go for a run as soon as they were let out of practice. A fight with another trainee? He’d run for hours until he’d calmed down enough to face them civilly. Youngtaek had once asked if Sungyoon ran to punish himself, but Daeyeol had just told him it wasn’t that easy.

Because Sungyoon _likes_ running. It’s equal parts therapy and a way of knocking some sense into himself.

He had, half-begrudgingly, taken Daeyeol with him once or twice. But Daeyeol, despite his longer legs and passion for dancing, could never keep up and ended up complaining until Sungyoon let him turn around. They’d agreed to disagree on the merits of running after that, and Daeyeol had never joined for any other run than the mandatory company runs since.

Sungyoon still runs by himself to cope, and Daeyeol hasn’t thought of it as a problem before. Sungyoon can have his quirks, just like all of them.

But tonight, Daeyeol would consider it a problem.

“If we didn’t just come back from a full day of schedules, I wouldn’t mind,” he says carefully. “And, you know, if it wasn’t the middle of the night. But this isn’t _healthy,_ Sungyoon-ah.”

“We do a lot of things that aren’t healthy, hyung,” Sungyoon shrugs. “Exercise is hardly the worst one. I’ll nap between recordings tomorrow. You can go to bed, don’t wait up for me, please.”

“Why are you being so stubborn?” Daeyeol says with a frown. “I’m concerned about you.”

“You don’t have to be,” Sungyoon says.

This is typical Sungyoon. Quick to scold others for not taking care of themselves, but easily disregarding his own well-being if convenient – if he thinks no one will notice. He had probably thought Daeyeol had already gone to bed by now, hoping to sneak out unnoticed.

“Well, I _am,_ ” Daeyeol’s frown deepens. “What’s going on? You’re too sensible for this, I know something must have happened.”

“Hyung – “

“Come on, for my peace of mind, at least,” he says, reaching out to hold Sungyoon’s hand. “For me.”

Sungyoon looks at him, and while Daeyeol still sees telltale tense lines of anger around his eyes, there’s also resignation, and maybe something similar to fondness. Daeyeol knows it’s a cheap trick to Sungyoon’s affection for him to reconsider, but he thinks it’s warranted when Sungyoon is being unreasonable.

“Please, Yoonie,” he says quietly. “I won’t be able to sleep if I let you go out like this.”

Sungyoon sighs, and his shoulders slump in defeat. It’s annoying that Daeyeol has to make a point of himself being upset for Sungyoon to even consider letting down his walls – that Daeyeol has to make Sungyoon concerned about _him_ in order to look after himself – but if that’s what it takes, Daeyeol will do it. It’s working, because Daeyeol can see Sungyoon weigh the words in his mouth, but judging by the look on his face, he isn’t about to reveal anything pleasant.

Which isn’t unexpected, but it still tugs at Daeyeol’s chest. He doesn’t like it when his members try to carry silent burdens or uneasiness, but maybe it’s even worse when it’s Sungyoon, who normally wouldn’t let anyone see his troubles.

Even tonight, Daeyeol wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t incidentally stayed up for a drink.

It makes him wonder if Sungyoon does this more often than any of them know.

“Sungyoon?” He presses gently, squeezing Sungyoon’s hand ever so slightly.

Then Sungyoon sighs, heavily and sad, and tips his head back to look at the ceiling for a second before looking back at Daeyeol.

“I cracked today,” he admits quietly, like even saying it is shameful. “You all heard it.”

Oh.

That.

Daeyeol winces, because yes, he did hear – it was just a fraction of a second, just a little slip up between tonal changes. But they heard.

He’s not going to pretend otherwise. That would be an insult to Sungyoon, to the trust they have in each other.

Still – he isn’t going to pretend it’s the end of the world either, because it _isn’t,_ and even as the leader, he himself had forgotten about it until now.

He should have known Sungyoon would get hung up on it.

“You were just tired,” he says, shaking his head. “It’s a tiring song, and with all the activities we’ve been doing – “

“I’m not looking for excuses, hyung,” Sungyoon cuts him off with a frown. “I know exactly why I made that mistake. Circumstantial challenges or not, I wasn’t focused enough to do what I had to for three and a half minutes. That’s a weakness on my part.”

It feels a little bit like stepping back in time, Daeyeol thinks. Back to trainee days, when a much sterner and colder Sungyoon would scold younger trainees for slacking off, when he refused to go out for dinner with the rest of them because he hadn’t quite perfected this thing he was working on. Back when their arguments were all about Daeyeol telling Sungyoon to go easy on the new trainees while Sungyoon told Daeyeol he shouldn’t coddle them so much.

Daeyeol would be lying if he said those days of hard work didn’t pay off – if he said he wished things were different back then. He doesn’t think the group would be the same if they didn’t have Sungyoon’s high expectations, or Jangjun’s witty humour, or Donghyun’s dedicated work ethic.

It had been a necessity leading up to the group they eventually became.

But Daeyeol can’t say he missed Sungyoon’s detached perfectionism all that much.

It’s a part of what makes Sungyoon _Sungyoon,_ but it’s also the part of Sungyoon that isolates him from the rest – the part that makes him less approachable, more difficult to deal with.

The part that made all younger trainees terrified of him when they first joined the company.

He’s gotten better in recent years, but sometimes Daeyeol wonders if Sungyoon really has eased up on his expectations, or if he’s just better at hiding them.

Maybe hoping he had let it go was too much.

“Come here,” he murmurs, and is pleased when Sungyoon doesn’t pull away but instead lets himself fold into Daeyeol’s arms. “It’s not weakness to be tired.”

“I didn’t say it was,” Sungyoon says quietly. “I know how tired you all are as well. I just… I need to work through that. I can’t let it hold us back.”

Daeyeol’s heart aches.

“You don’t need to set such high expectations of yourself,” he whispers into Sungyoon’s hair, but in the quiet dorm, Sungyoon hears it well enough.

“Of course I do,” Sungyoon chuckles darkly. “If I don’t – who will? We must hold ourselves to the standards we wish to accomplish. It’s my job. Hyung, it’s quite literally my job, look at the contract.”

Daeyeol smiles a little even as his conscience bleeds.

“Do you hold Joochan to the same standards?” He asks carefully.

“Yes,” Sungyoon says without hesitation, and Daeyeol knows he means it. “He’s young, but he’s good. I’m not wrong to expect a lot from him.”

Which is not a lie – Daeyeol knows Sungyoon is expecting a lot from all of them.

However, he also knows that if Joochan had made a mistake, Sungyoon would be the first to pat his back and tell him he did well – if Donghyun stumbled, Sungyoon would have been there to make sure he wasn’t hurt, and if Bomin faltered, Sungyoon would have forced him to take a nap in the corner.

Sungyoon expects a lot, but he isn’t unreasonable. Instead of scolding the members when they don’t reach his expectations, he tries to find out why, and how to help them through. It’s something he’s been doing since trainee days, but he’s gotten more gentle about it over the years, more overtly caring.

It’s a development Daeyeol loves with all his heart, but he’s sad to see that Sungyoon doesn’t apply the same forgiveness to himself.

“You always let them off the hook, though,” he reminds Sungyoon gently. “You never blame them for their faults.”

“Only if I see them try,” Sungyoon huffs. “If they slack off, they deserve to be scolded.”

Which is also true. Daeyeol might be the leader, but compared to him, Sungyoon scolds the members three times as much on an average day. He’s a tough, but fair hyung.

“I’m never letting you serve time in the army,” Daeyeol says, hugging Sungyoon tighter. “I’m afraid you’ll like it so much you won’t come back to me.”

“Don’t make that joke when you have to leave before me,” Sungyoon says and pulls away to weakly slap Daeyeol’s arm. He scowls up at Daeyeol as if the comment had really insulted him. “It’s not too far into the future, you know.”

“Okay, we’re not going there tonight,” Daeyeol agrees with a chuckle.

“You started it,” Sungyoon sulks.

“And now I’m saying goodbye to it,” Daeyeol says. Sungyoon rolls his eyes, but the corner of his lips tug up slightly, definitely in affection, and Daeyeol is unreasonably pleased with himself.

It means he’s breaking through Sungyoon’s walls.

“Please, Yoonie,” he says and reaches out again to gently tug at the hair at Sungyoon’s nape. It’s still a bit damp, so he probably did have a shower, at least. “Go to bed. We’ll work on getting better tomorrow.”

“I won’t be able to sleep,” Sungyoon protests and waves vaguely with his hand. “I’m not exaggerating. There’s too much…”

He doesn’t say anxiety, or frustration or fear, or anything like that. Daeyeol knows it’s not entirely precise, anyway, because the only repercussion Sungyoon is concerned about is his own judgement. He’s too old to be afraid of comments online, and too sensible to think one mistake will be the downfall of an entire group.

No, Sungyoon’s chase for perfectionism is for himself, which is both comforting and frustrating to Daeyeol.

Comforting, because it means he won’t be as vulnerable to criticism from the public as some of the younger members – frustrating, because it also means there is nothing Daeyeol can shield him from to make life easier.

That doesn’t mean he won’t try.

“Come sleep with me, then?” he tries. “Maybe it’ll help calm you down.”

“Or I’ll just keep us both awake,” Sungyoon says, looking almost sheepish. “Look, hyung, I know you want to help, and I appreciate that. But sometimes good intentions aren’t enough.”

“You’re being awfully pessimistic,” Daeyeol shakes his head. “Just this once, okay? One chance. If you do end up keeping us both awake, I’ll let you go on all the midnight runs you want in the future. But if you leave now, I’ll stay right here waiting for you. Okay? I’m holding my own sleep hostage for you.”

Sungyoon sighs heavily and rolls his eyes, but he’s considering Daeyeol’s suggestion, and Daeyeol is pretty sure he’s finally starting to wear down Sungyoon’s resolve.

Daeyeol might not be particularly eloquent, but he is persistent.

“Pretty please, Sungyoonie,” he says quietly and cups Sungyoon’s cheeks. “Please – for me?”

Sungyoon has the uncanny ability of looking like he’s seeing through Daeyeol’s soul, watching, considering, judging all parts of him that he doesn’t even know himself. He wonders what Sungyoon sees, sometimes, when he stares at Daeyeol like he does right now – what is he thinking, what is he considering?

It’s the kind of look that makes the younger members uncomfortable, like they are being scrutinized. Daeyeol doesn’t see it like that. He likes to think of it as Sungyoon doing his best to understand, to figure out what they want and need. Sungyoon might not have the same view on life as the other members, but he is empathic, and will always try to see things from their point of view.

Hopefully, he sees Daeyeol’s worry, his adoration, his hope that Sungyoon will agree to let it go and catch some much deserved rest.

“I wish you would worry as much about yourself as you do us,” Sungyoon murmurs, and the irony is not lost on Daeyeol, who can’t help but smile.

“Back at you,” he says. “Come on. Let’s make both our lives easier and go to bed – okay?”

“Fine,” Sungyoon sighs. “You win – but don’t complain to me tomorrow if you’re tired.”

“If I’m tired, it has nothing to do with you,” Daeyeol assures him.

Which is mostly the truth – Daeyeol _knows_ he will be tired tomorrow, but he would have been tired tomorrow anyway, because that’s how their schedules work. It’s pointless for Sungyoon to heave that blame on his own shoulders when it doesn’t make a difference.

“You always say the nicest things,” Sungyoon remarks drily, moving out of Daeyeol’s arms to take off his windbreaker.

Daeyeol grins.

“Only for you, princess,” he says, which earns him an admittedly deserved slap to the shoulder.

“Behave before I change my mind,” Sungyoon grumbles. “ _Hyung_.”

“I will,” Daeyeol’s grin widens. He’s still tired, and there’s a lingering worry in his stomach at Sungyoon’s self-deprecation which he knows he will have to deal with sooner or later. But his mood has lifted significantly, and he’s more than ready to fall asleep for the few hours they have until their alarms ring again.

He gently steers Sungyoon through the quiet dorms towards his bedroom, keeping a hand against his back as if afraid Sungyoon will sneak away again if he doesn’t pay attention – he knows Sungyoon won’t, but the physical reminder eases his heart as they turn off the lights on the way.

Daeyeol’s bed isn’t designed for more than one person, and neither of them are particularly small – but they are used to crowding each other’s spaces by now, and it’s not the first time they have shared a bed, so it works out okay. Daeyeol crawls in under the covers first, scooting back as close to the wall as possible before pulling Sungyoon down with him.

Sungyoon snorts quietly at his antics, but doesn’t protest when Daeyeol pulls him against his chest and buries his nose in his hair.

“You’re going to get a cramp in your arm if you sleep like that,” Sungyoon whispers to him.

“You’re so concerned with my sleep tonight,” Daeyeol mumbles back, his breath moving Sungyoon’s hair and making it tickle his cheeks. “If you’d been equally concerned with your own sleep we wouldn’t even be in this situation.”

“Daeyeol-hyung – “

“Shhh,” Daeyeol cuts him off before he can protest. “Don’t think so much. You’ll wake the kids.”

He feels the soundless chuckle vibrate through Sungyoon’s chest, and can’t help but tighten his grip ever so slightly.

Sungyoon is precious.

Too precious.

“Okay,” Sungyoon agrees after a few seconds of silence. “If you insist. Good night, hyung.”

“Good night, Sungyoon-ah,” Daeyeol smiles and places a feathery kiss to the top of Sungyoon’s head. “Sleep well.”

He really hopes Sungyoon will – he deserves it.

And if Daeyeol loses a few precious minutes of sleep just so he can hear Sungyoon’s breaths even out, he doesn’t point it out to Sungyoon the next morning. Nor does he point out that staying with Daeyeol did help Sungyoon fall asleep.

He doesn’t need to – the grateful smile Sungyoon flashes him before they get on stage the next day is telling enough.

Daeyeol allows himself to be proud of that.

**Author's Note:**

> I love Sungyoon so much and Daeyeol is the best boy :(


End file.
